Car and electric coupling.



E. H. DEWSON & T. R. BROWN.

(JAB AND ELECTRIC COUPLING. APPLICATION mco MAR. 8. um.

Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

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EDWARD H. DEWSON, OF NEW YORK, ANDTHOMAS 3. BROWN, OF SPARKILIJ, NEWYORK.

1 CAR, AND ELECTRIC COUPLING.

Original application filed January 3, 1914,Seria1 No. 810,112. Dividedand thisapplication filed March 8 r 1917. Serial No. 153,436.

To all whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD H. DEwsoN,

train line circuits, between the cars or other vehicles of the train,and more particularly to that type of car and electric coupler in whicheach counterpart coupling head has a plurality of contacts connected tothe respective train line circuits, and a movablecontact carrier, one ofsaid carriers being adapted to be projected to bridge over the space andestablish electrical connection between the corresponding contacts ofthe two couplers when the same are coupled together.- With this type ofcoupler, particularly where there is a relative lateral movement betweenthe coupler heads in uncoupling, it is important that the movablecontact carrier be withdrawn from its projected position before thecouplers are released and pulled apart, in order to avoid liability ofbreakage and damage to the same, and the object of our present inventionis to provide improved means whereby said contact carrier shallb'ewithdrawn before the couplers are released. 7 i

This application isja division of our original application SerialNo.810,112, filed J anuary 3, 1914, in which different modifica tions areshown for controlling the move ment of'the contact carrier and therelease of the coupler lock, and our present improvement comprises meansgoverned by the movement ofthe contact carrier for controlling thereleaseof the coupler.-

In the accompanying drawings: the figure is a diagram, partly in planand partly in section, showing a pair of couplers locked together andembodyingone form of our impro ement.- j

According to the construction shown in the drawingQthecoupler comprisesamain casting or coupler head, 12, adapted to'be secured by a pivotal-conne'ction, 18, to a draw bar, and havinga hook shaped projection, 14,provided 'with-a -vertical plane Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 7, 1919.

For the purpose of releasing the lock of the coupler, fluid pressuremeans are provided, comprising a cylindrical chamber formed in thecoupler head and containing a piston, 18, which is connected by a rod,19, withan arm of the pivoted lock, 16, a spring, 20, acting on the backof the piston to normally hold the lock in itslocking position. Fluidunder pressure, suchv as compressed air, may be admitted throughpassage, 22, and port, 23, to the cylinder for actuating the piston, 18,to compress the spring and turn the pivoted lock, 16, to its releasingposition when it'is desired to uncouple and separate the couplers.

The casing, 41, for containing the electri contact device is supportedbeneath the under side of the coupler head in such posi tion that theadjacent ends of the two cas ings of the counterpart couplers meettogether when oupled, In the casing, 41, are mounted a plurality ofcontact fingers, 43, preferably in a horizontal row, near the outer endof the casing, and each connected with a corresponding wire of the trainline circuits. Other sets of contact fingers, 45, may be employed forclosing certain local circuits upon each car. In order to establishelectrical connection between the respective contact fingers of thecounterpart couplers, there is a sliding contact carrier, 46, mounted inthe casing and having a plurality of sets of contact bars, 47 and '48,properly connected and adapted to engage the sets of contact fingers,43, ofthe adjacent counterpart couplers when coupled together with oneof the slides extended into the casing of the other coupler, whereby thecontacts of the movable carrier bridge over the space between the saidsets of contact fingers, andestablish the desired electrical connection.The contact bars, 47 and 48, are preferably cross connected on oppositesides of the center line. Other contact bars, e9, may also becarried bythe slide for establishing certain connections between the contactfingers, 45.

The contact carrier may be operated by any suitable means, but as hereinshown, there is provided a cylinder, 7 7, containing a piston, 78,connected to an arm, 79, for actuating the slide, 46, the supply offluid to the cylinder being controlled by any suitable valve means, suchas puppet valve, 80, governing the admission of fluid from passage, 81,to the port, 82, leading into the cylinder, 77, and the exhaust valve,83, controlling the'release from the cylinder to the atmosphere.

In order that the valve mechanism may be operated automatically by thecoming together of the counterpart couplers, the valve, 80, is normallyseated by a spring, 84L, and abuts against the stem of the exhaustvalve, 83, which is mounted on the stem or rod, 38, which extendslongitudinally through the casing, preferably on the center line, andprojects a short distance beyond the end of the casing in a position toabut against the end of the corresponding rod of the counterpart couplerwhen the same are brought together in the'act of coupling. Theexhaustvalve, 83, may be slidably mounted on the rod, 38, with ayielding spring, 85, located between the same. As the two couplers cometogether, the rod, 38, is forced inward to open the valve, 80, and closethe valve, 83, thereby admitting fluid to the piston, 78, to actuate themovable contact carrier to its outer position in which the train linecircuits of the adjacent cars are coupled together. The device isdesigned so that one of the projecting rods shall yield and be forcedinward before the other when the couplers come together, and with thisarrangement, the slide, 4:6, is adapted to occupy a normal intermediateposition with its end close to the opening in the casing when thecouplers are separated. The force which opposes the yielding inwardmovement of the rod, 88, is due to the pressure of the spring, 84:, andthe fluid pressure acting on the back of the valve, 80, which is of acomparatively large area, and since these conditions are never preciselyalike and exactly equal in all respects in any two counterpart couplers,it is evidentthat one of the valves of said couplers will start to yieldbefore the other thereby cracking the joint of the valve upon its seat,and admitting pressure beneath the same which instantly balances thevalve as to fluid pressure and thereby eliminates most of the opposingforce. The corresponding rod then readily yields, being forced inward bythe projecting rod of the counterpart coupling, and the piston, 78,moves the slide, 46, outward throughthe narrow opening and into thecasing of the other coupler, where it engages the corresponding slideand forces the same back to its extreme inner position, as shown in thedrawing. I11 this position, the respective sets of contact fingers, 43,of the train line circuits are connected while the local circuits, whichare closed by contacts, 45 and 49, in the intermediate position of theslide, are open.

Each sliding contact carrier is provided with a projection, 90,extending between the springs, 86 and 86 which, in the normalre leaseposition, test against the abutment, 91, one spring opposing themovement of the slide in one direction from its normal intermediateposition, and the other spring opposing the movement of the slide in theop} posite direction from said position. I 1 In releasing the coupler,it is desirable that the sliding contact carrier should be withdrawnbefore the coupler locksare re leased and before the coupler heads beginto separate, and particularly so where the initial movement of thecoupler heads relative to each other is, in a laterally inclined'direction, as in the present case, and it is also desirable that theoperator should be able to Withdraw the slide during the time that thecoupler heads are locked together and with,-' out uncoupling the same.According to this feature of our improvement, a valve device is providedfor controlling the release of air from the actuating cylinder, 77 whenthe exhaust valve, 83, is closed. As shown in the drawing, this valvedevice for controlling the release of the slides is located between thetappet valve, 80, and the slide actuating cylinder, 77, and comprises apiston, 2 9, having a stem for actuating the valve, 26, which controlsthe passage, 82, normally permitting free communication from the supplypassage, 37 and valve, 80, through said passage, 82, to the cylinder,77, butadapted to close said communication and vent air from thecylinder through exhaust port, 29, to the atmosphere when fluid pressureis admitted, by cock, 21*,th1ough connection, 21, to the piston, 24:. II

In order to prevent the release of the coupler locks before the returnof the slides to normal position, we haveshown a valve governed by themovement of the slides for controlling the passage leading to theunlocking cylinders. This valve, 95, is inthe form of a round headedplunger resting on theslide, M3, and having a spring, 96, pressing thevalve against the slide. When the slides occupy the coupled position,the valves, 95, are held up in such position as to close communicationfrom the passage, 22, to the port, 23., and the unlocking cylinders,'and to open the exhaust port, 98. When, however, the slides are returnedto their normal positions, the recess, 97, is brought in line with thevalve, and the springforces the same down thereby closing the exhaustport and opening free communication from passage, 22, to the port, 23and the unlocking cylinder. By means of this interlocking feature, it isimpossible for the fluid pressure'to reach the unlocking pistons, 18,until the slides have returned to normal position.

In the coupling up operation the action is substantially th same asbefore described, one of the t'appet valves opens to admit pressure fromthe supply passage, 37, through passage, 82, to the slide projectingcylinder, 77 of one of the couplers, thus actuating the slides, 46, tomake the electric train line connections. When it is desired to releasethe couplers, fluid pressure is admitted by a suitable cook 21*, oneither vehide to the pipe connection, 21, and thence flows by passage,22, and the bore, 39, of tappet, 38, to the corresponding passages of thcounterpart coupler, moves the corresponding valve, 26, against itsspring, and thereby releases the pressure from the cylinder, 77, whichallows the slides to return, by means of their springs, to normalposition. The valves, 95, then move to open position, and supply fluidto the unlocking cylinders of both couplers, and the same may then bepulled apart, after which thepressure escapes from passages, 39 and 22,and the pistons, 24*, and valves, 26, return to normal position.

Whil we have shown one form of interlocking means governed by themovement of contact carrier or slide for controllin the release of thecoupler lock, it will be evident that our improvement is not limited tothis particular construction, but extends to various forms of mechanismwhich may readily be designed for this purpose.

Having now described our invention, what We claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a car coupling, the combination of a coupler head having a movablelock, a device for releasing-said lock, electrical contacts connected tothe respective train line circuits, a movable carrier havingcorresponding contacts, means for projecting and withdrawing saidcarrier, and means governed by the movement of said carrier forcontrolling the release of the coupler lock.

2. In a car coupling, th combination of a coupler head having a movablelock, a device for releasing said lock, electrical contacts connected tothe respective train line circuits, a movable contact carrier, a fluidpressure operated device for projecting said Copies of this patent may.be obtained for &

carrier to electrically connect corresponding contacts of counterpartcouplers, means for eflecting a return movement of said carrier, andmeans governed by the movement of said carrier for controlling therelease of the coupler lock.

3. In a car coupling, the combination of a coupler head having a movablelook, a fluid pressure device for releasing said lock, electricalcontacts connected to the respective train line circuits, a movablecarrier having corresponding contacts, means for projecting andwithdrawing said carrier, and means governed by the movement of saidcarrier for controlling the supply of fluid to the device for releasingthe coupler lock.

4;. In a car coupling, the combination of a coupler head having amovable look, a piston for releasing said lock, electrical contactsconnected to the respective train line circuits, a movable carrierhaving corresponding contacts, means for projecting and withdrawing saidcarrier, and a valve governed by the movement of said carrier forcontrolling the supply of fluid to the unlocking piston of the couplerlock.

5. In a car coupling, the combination of a coupler head having a movablelook, a fluid pressure device for releasing said lock, electricalcontacts connected to the respective train line circuits, a movablecarrier having corres onding contacts, a fluid pressure device orprojecting said carrier to electrically connect corresponding contactsof counterpart couplers, means for eflecting a return movement of saidcarrier, and

means governed by the movement of said contacts of counterpart couplers,a fluid pressure operated valve device controlling the release of fluidto effect a return movement of the carrier, and means governed by themovement of said carrier for controlling the release of the couplerlock.

I In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

EDWARD H. DEWSON. THOMAS R. BROWN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patenta, Washington,D. 0."

Correction in Letters Patent No. 1,290,117.

It is hereby certified that Letters Patent No. 1,290,117, grantedJanuary 7, 1919, upon the application of Edward H. Dewson, of New York,and Thomas R. Brown, of Sparkiii, New York, for an improvement in Carand Electric Couplings, were erroneously issued to the inventors, saidDewson. and Brown, whereas said Letters Patent should have been issuedto The Westinghouse Air Brake Company, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, acorporation of Pennsylvania, as shown by the records of assignments inthis ofiice; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with thiscorrection therein that the same may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 25th day of February, A. D., 1919.

F. W. H. CLAY,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

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